Accidental Explosion Kills 1 At Sports Centre In Belgium

BRUSSELS — One person is reported to have been killed and at least two injured in Belgium in an accidental explosion at a sports centre near the French border.

A Belgian Crisis Center staffer said early Friday that "the information that I have is that it due to an accident, probably gas. There is no link to terrorism or anything like that.'' The staffer could not be named under the centre's rules.

Chimay is located near Belgium's border with France. (Image: Google Maps)

Belgian state radio RTBF said the blast happened in the town of Chimay, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of the capital Brussels just after midnight. It quoted local rescue services as saying a number of people had been in the building at the time.

The rescue services said part of the building collapsed and that people were trapped in the rubble.

Police and rescue services in Chimay could not be immediately reached for details.